Method of packaging sagger pins



Se t. 16, 1941. H. s. ORTH ETAL 2,256,215

METHOD OF PACKAGING SAGGER PINS Filed Nov. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm Howard 49071 71, CZairZP'Oberai WiZZz'amE'fiumer Sept. 16, 1941.

H. S. ORTH ETAL METHOD OF PACKAGING SAGGER PINS.

2 SheerLs-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1937 ,2 2 a. WW 2 WWW Patented Sept. 16, 1941 2,256,215 METHOD OF PACKAGING SAGGER PINS Howard S. Orth, Clair R. Oberst, and William E.

Cramer,

Columbus, Ohio, assignors to Industrial Ceramic Products Inc., Columbus, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application November 26, 1937, Serial No. 176,678 1 Claim. (Cl. 226-2) This invention relates to merchandise packaging, and has particular reference to an improved method of and apparatus for handling and packing relatively short and straight stick-like articles, such as sagger pins, in aligned orderly piles in fiber board shipping containers or cartons. Sagger pins are used for the support of ceramic articles while the latter are undergoing firing at high temperatures in kilns. For instance, in the manufacture of table plates, or other similar ceramic objects, box-like frames of fire clay, known as saggers, are used which have the interior walls thereof formed with vertically spaced openings. These openings are adapted to removably receive relatively short heat-treated clay pins, i. e., sagger pins, which project inwardly and horizontally from the sagger frames to provide supports for the clay ware placed thereon. The pins enable the ware to be stacked vertically within the saggers, with each piece of ware separate from adjoining pieces, so that when the ware is undergoing kiln firing, the heated gases may circulate freely about the same to provide for uniform heating of all portions of the ware.

. The pottery industry employs these sagger pins in large numbers, since it is necessary to discard or destroy the pins after each firing operation. Hitherto pins of this kind have been packed for storage and shipment in barrels, with no attempt made to provide for any definite order in the placing of the pins in the barrels. It has been determined that the time of the pottery workers can be saved and the operations of using and placing the sagger pins facilitated if said pins'are presented by the manufacturers thereof to the pottery workers in an aligned orderly manner. Such a presentation avoids the necessity of having the pottery workers reach into deep barrels to obtain a quantity of the pins and to then align the pins so that the operation of inserting the same into the sagger frames may be conveniently carried out. Also, by aligning the pins in parallel closely packed order, a greater number of pins can be disposed in a shipping container of given cubical content than when the pins are disposed in such a container in a loose bulk manner and without respect to order. This results in minimizing storage space, provides greater convenience in shipping, and permits of the use of relatively small containers which may be readily handled by pottery workers.

While the advantages of orderly packing the pins in shipping containers are quite well understood, the matter of accommodating the pottery industry with the same has been held back for economic reasons. Sagger pins are made and used in large quantities and are sold at a low price. Therefore, expensive packing operations rendered the practice prohibitive from a cost standpoint. The present invention, however, provides an economical and efficient method of and apparatus for eifecting orderly carton packaging of such sagger pins which add so little to the manufacturing costs over present practice that the added costs are readily absorbed by the economies effected in transportation, storage and pottery manufacturing operations as to render the present system economically practicable. sagger pins are substantially triangular in transverse cross section and do not possess the round cross sectional configuration of, for instance, matches, cigarettes, cigars and other similar objects for which highly developed apparatus has been developed and is now in use-to effect the packaging thereof. A comprehensive survey of packaging machines and methods now in use have convinced us that the same are unsuitable for sagger pin packaging operations. Therefore, unaided by any prior practice or apparatus of which we are aware, we have developed a method and apparatus for packaging sagger pins in orderly stacks or piles in multi-compartment cartons, the method and apparatus, comprising the present invention, providing for rapid low cost handling of the pins and their insertion in desired order in the containing and shipping cartons.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section, and partly in side elevation of the vibrating table employed by the present invention in effecting longitudinal alignment of sagger pins which are initially placed on the table without reference to order or position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the table on the plane indicated by the line II-II of Fig. 1 and disclosing the longitudinal pinadvancing Ways of the table;

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line indicated by the line III--III of Fig. l and disclosing the receiving pocket arranged at the discharge end of the vibrating table for the reception of the pins which are longitudinally aligned and delivered to the pocket in parallel relationship by the operation of the vibrating table;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of said table and pocket;

F g, 5 is a detail perspective view disclosing theconfiguration of the sagger pins handled by the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the holder in which the pins are stacked in orderly separated piles prior to being inserted in a shipping container or carton;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken through the holder and disclosing the normal position thereof during the stacking of the sagger pins therein;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view disclosing the operation of applying a paper board shipping container or carton over the holder after the latter has been filled to its capacity with orderly ar-' ranged piles of sagger pins;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line IXIX of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view disclosing the operation of withdrawing the holder from the shipping container or carton, with the pins deposited in the carton;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional View on the line XI-XI of Fig. 10. r

In carrying out the packaging system com prising the present invention, we preferably utilize the pin aligning unit, disclosed in Figs. 1 to (l inclusive of the drawings. This unit consists of a vibratory table indicated at I. The table is supported by means of ,a plurality of leaf spring elements 2, which have their lower ends attached as at 3 to a stationary base 4, While the upper ends of said elements are secured as at to lugs 6, depending from the under side'of the table I. Carried by the base 4 is an electric vibrating motor I which is alternatelyenergized at high frequencies to flex the spring elements 2 and deenergized to release said spring elements, so that rapid vibratory motion is imparted to the table I to provide for the longitudinal advanc of loose materials along said table.

Such vibratingmachines or conveyors'are well known but we have found it necessary to modify the construction of the table I in order to make the same adaptable for the purposes of the present invention. In this connection, we provide the upper surface of the table, between the vertical sides 8 thereof with a plurality of equally spaced longitudinally extending vertical ribs 9, the said ribs defining between them and the sides 8 a plurality of longitudinally extending ways I I] adapted for the reception and longitudinal advance of sagger pins II therethrough. These sagger pins are made of ceramic materials and are heat treated and hardened by kiln operations; As shown in Fig. 5, each of these pins comprises a stick-like body which may be of any suitable length. Cross-sectionally, each pin is substantially triangular so that a plurality of knife edges I2 are presented, the said edges being adapted for the support of ceramic ware to be .fired in saggers and to minimize area of contact of the sagger pins with the supported ware.

. As these pins come from the kiln, they are deposited, without reference to order or relative position, on the receiving end of the table I, as

f disclosed by the group of pins B; set forth 1 in Fig. 4.

the pins are advanced longitudinally in the dij rection indicated bythe arrow C and are at the same time jolted and jarred by the vibra- Due to the vibration .of the table,

tion of the table sufficiently so that the pins tend to settle longitudinally in each of the ways I0 and in parallel order therewith. To further insure this condition, the ribs 9, contiguous to the discharge end of the table are provided with upstanding lugs or shoulders I 3 so that in the event a pin, as indicated at D in Fig. 4, should become positioned on the upper edges of the ribs 9, the said shoulders will serve to turn such a pin lengthwise of the table and deposit the same longitudinally in one of the Ways I0. It will be observed that the shoulders I3 are disposed in offset relationship in order to effect the turning of a transversely extending pin to secure longitudinal positioning thereof. The pins may be delivered to the receiving end of the table by any suitable means, either manually or by mechanical conveyors. This, however, is relatively unimportant since the construction and operation of the table serves to insure the straightening of the pins into desired positions of longitudinal alignment and relatively parallel order.

We have also modified the construction of the table I by securing to the discharge end thereof a receiving cup I It having formed therein a pocket I5 in which the longitudinally aligned pins discharged from the table I are received in orderly groups. The cup I4 may be of a readily replaceable type, since the sagger pins vary in length. That is to say, pins of equal length are handled for any given run of the apparatus. In the next run, the pins may be of a greater or shorter length, and to accommodate this condition, the cup M may be readily replaceable on the discharge end of the rack or table I, or the cup may be provided with an adjustable end wall by which it may be rendered adaptable to pins of differing lengths. The cup I4 is held in spaced relation from the discharge endof the table I to produce a slot or gap I6. This is present so that if the pins should become broken during forming or kiln operations, the undesirable shorter lengths or broken pins will be discharged from the apparatus through the slot or gap I6 and will not enter the pocket I5. This tends to eliminate broken particles and assures the manufacturer that the finally packaged pins are of required length.

By thus aligning the pins in the pocket I5, as indicated by the group of pins E, it is a very simple matter for the machine attendant, by a manually executed operation, to remove the pins from the pocket in grouped and orderly formation. Pins so removed are then stacked in orderly piles or rows, indicated at I I, in a holder I8, as shown in Fig. 6. This holder comprises a box-like member having a bottom I 9, spaced vertical end Walls 2II2IJ and a rear wall 2I, front and top walls being omitted. By means of a cleat 22 secured to the bottom wall, the holder I8 normally occupies a somewhat inclined position with respect to the vertical, as shown in Fig. 7. Preferably the holder is retained in this position while the same is being filled with adjoining orderly rows of sagger pins. The machine operator is merely required to normally transfer the aligned sagger pins from the cup I4 to the holder I8, and due to the construction of the holder and its inclined position, the order of the pins is retained While the rows or piles 23 of said pins are being produced in the holder. 'As each row or pile is completed, we place against the same a cardboard separator 24, which furnishes a backing for the formation of the next row.

After the holder has been completely filled, with the orderly stacked rows of pins, and the spacers 24, we transfer said pins and spacers bodily to a paper board container or carton 25. This container is of standard construction and is preferably reenforcecl as is customary by internal corrugated strips so that said container will possess the required mechanical strength to support the sagger pins when filled to capacity without wall fracture or breakage. The box includes the usual flaps 25 which are adapted to be closed and secured by means of sealing tape.

In transferring the stacked pins from the holder [8 to the carton 25, the flaps 26 of the carton are laid back, as disclosed at Fig. 8, so that the carton may be slipped over the holder until all of the pins contained by the holder are received within the confines of the carton. The holder and carton are then inverted from the position shown substantially in Fig. 8 to that of Fig. 10 and the holder is withdrawn from the container, leaving in the latter the orderly stacked rows of pins and the spacers or dividers 24. The flaps of the container are then closed and sealed, producing a package Which can be conveniently handied and transported in many different Ways. The pins so packaged occupy but a minimum of storage and shipping space and may be conveniently removed from the carton by pottery workers at the time the pins are needed. Specifically, the present invention displaces the prior drum or barrel method of handling these articles and adds so little to the final costs of marketing the pins that economies effected as a result of convenience in handling and shipping, more than offset the slightly added cost of packing.

The carton preferably used measures approximately 12 by 12" by 7", and when filled with the sagger pins will weigh about forty pounds, containing usually about nine thousand to ten thousand sagger pins. A package of this size may be conveniently handled by pottery operatives and one carton will supply a skilled operative with sufficient pins for more than the requirements of an average working day.

If it is desired to permanently secure the spacers 24 within the carton 25, this may be accomplished by fianging the normally lower edge of each spacer, as indicated at 30 in Figs. 9 and 11. When the spacers are retained in the holder, the adhesive covered surfaces of the flanges 30 are moistened by the application thereto of a damp sponge or cloth. It will be seen that when the carton is then placed around the holder and the entire package inverted, the weight of the sagger pins will force the adhesive covered surfaces of the flanges 3i] into contact with the bottom of the container 25, so that the spacers will become permanently connected with the container and will tend to provide a more secure support for retaining the sagger pins in orderly rows, after one or more of the compartments of the container has been emptied.

What is claimed is:

The method of packaging sagger pins which comprises producing from a disorderly mass of D sagger pins groups of horizontally disposed parallel pins, stacking said groups of parallel pins in substantially vertical orderly piles in an open sided holder, placing a substantially vertical separator having a laterally directed flange at its upper edge between adjacent stacks of pins, positioning said holder when filled in an inverted shipping carton, inverting the holder and carton to position the stacks of pins on the flanges of the separators and removing the holder without disturbing the orderly arrangement of the pins and separators.

HOWARD S. ORTH.

CLAIR R, OBERST.

WILLIAM E. CRAMER. 

